Mainstreaming My Social Life
by nubbin165
Summary: Slight AU! Bella De Luce only moved in with her brother to start a normal life - really! But that was just not was fate had in mind for her. Baseball, guns, and ballroom dancing. Maybe this place was a lot more interesting than it seemed... YamamotoOC
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Hi everyone! Thank you so much for taking your time to check this out! This is my first Hitman Reborn fic, and I am really excited about! Please wish me luck!

I am in no way, shape, or form associate with Hitman Reborn or it's character. Bella De Luce and any other OCs, belong to me.

Full Summary:

Slight AU! Bella De Luce only moved in with her brother to start a normal life - really! But that was just not was fate had in mind for her. Baseball, guns, gay tendencies, and ballroom dancing. Maybe small-town-nowhere was a lot more interesting than it looked... YamamotoOC

* * *

She bit her lip as she stared longingly at the school entrance in front of her. School entrance, as in a school, as in a _real school_ – complete with teachers, students, and _classrooms_. As in, a building she has never entered once in her life.

AND! To top it all off, it was some no-name school belonging to some no-name town in the middle of freaking Japan. Honestly, of all the places her brother had chosen to live…

There was Tokyo – or Kyoto, Osaka at least! Busy places full of busy people and busy people meant _busy money_…

She took a deep breath through her nose as she continued to bite her lip.

This place was no were near in comparison to _Italia_. It was small and…well, unpopulated. She didn't even know if she wanted to go to school anymore.

Sure, she was excited at first – when her brother had told her he got her into the school he taught at. Really, she was! But now that she was actually in front of it, looking at it…

It was nothing like the schools she had seen back home – the fabulous brick walls and flying buttresses and concrete statues and grassy areas with students idly chatting in the midday sun.

She blinked. Nope. No brick. No buttresses. No statues. No students idly chatting and no midday sun.

Well, it might be noon soon if she continued to stand there like an idiot.

The bell had already rang, she was sure, because not only had she overslept, but she got lost her way there. Beloved _Onii-chan_ had morning practice with 'the team' and left the house at the butt crack of dawn, leaving her to fend for herself. Well…she really didn't _rush_ on her way here either – so he was only partially to blame. She had to do her makeup and straighten her hair. She still wanted to look nice for her first day of school in a new town full of new faces.

She sighed again before taking the first step towards the ominous building – _God, check out all the white!_ She felt like she was in a mental ward. _Are all schools like this? Where are the furnished corridors and fancy artwork?_

Her messenger bag bounced at her hip while she walked through the hallway. Her brother had told her where to locker was (first floor, #223) and her indoor shoes would be in there already. _Indoor shoes…shoes, just for wearing inside. Only in Japan…Geez, this is weird._

"For Christ's sake, Legs! You're almost two hours late!" She jumped at the bistouries voice – the empty hallway only seemed to make it even more _daunting_.

She placed her…outdoor shoes inside her locker before quietly closing it. She blinked at her brother – feeling much like a deer caught in headlights.

"Get to class! Yamato is going to think I lied about bringing you here – or that you even exist! Why the hell are you so freaking late?" He frowned as he adjusted his neck tie. He even clicked his tongue at her.

"Uh, I got lost on the road to life?" Her brother gave her a blank stare and she suddenly became very aware of how quiet the hallway could be.

"Did…did you seriously just quote _Naruto_?"

She gave him an equally blank stare in return, hoping to hide her embarrassment. "Where's my classroom again?"

He sighed. "Room 2-A, Bella. And try not to embarrass yourself. Because you _will_ have to return here tomorrow. And the day after. And the day after that…That's how a real school works, you know?"

"Pfft, like I would do that! Come on, Onii-chan, give me some slack!" She punched him in the shoulder lightly as they walked towards her classroom.

Yeah, she probably would embarrass herself. But her brother didn't need to know that. He would totally hang it over her head and make fun of her when she got home! Which only meant she would be stuck washing all his grody, smelly laundry and cleaning that disgusting thing she had discovered to be the spare bathroom.

The taller man knocked lightly on door in front of them. A deep voice behind the door seemed to be lecturing over something. In English, perhaps? She really couldn't tell. "Yamato-sensei?"

Bella heard the man…Yamato-sensei stop talking.

"Ah, is that you, De Luce-sensei?" She heard Yamato-sensei chuckle. "I see that your transfer -"

"She's right here!" Bella suddenly felt herself being flung into the classroom with a sudden push. "Sorry for her tardiness, Sensei! Please take good care of her!"

"Eh…?" She turned to see no one behind her – apparently her brother was gone with the wind. Ugh! That asshole! Leaving her stranded on an unknown island like this! Surrounded by wild beasts…

"De Luce-chan! Nice of you to join us today! I didn't think you were going to come! Or that you were real!" The man chuckled and the rest of the class giggled in return. Yes, the rest of the class – as in an entire group of people her _own_ age. _Peers. I think they are called _peers_._

"Class! This is De Luce Bella, a transfer student! And she is also the sister of De Luce-sensei in case you couldn't tell." He pronounced her name properly at least. She guessed he was probably familiar with Western languages.

"Um, nice to meet you all. Sorry for being so late on my first day." Her brows furrowed as she smiled.

"That's fine De Luce-chan. Next time will be a detention though~." His smile became a bit creepier, but she nodded in response. She turned towards the class, not really knowing what to do next.

So many kids – all of them were looking at her. It was so…overwhelming. Did they realize how intimidating they were? She hoped she just wasn't blushing. The last thing she wanted was her first impression to be that of a lobster.

She clutched her bag as she glanced back at the teacher. He gave her a cheeky, teasing smile, much like the one of her own brother would give. He looked like he was around the same age as well. Ugh, young teachers – what did they know?

"We're in the middle of English class – do you speak it?"

She quickly nodded. "Yes! Quite fluently!" _Oh my God – it's basically the only subject I know I _won't_ fail._

She blinked, hoping she didn't sound too enthusiastic about it. The last thing she wanted was to sound like some sort of nerd. Oh God! What if they thought she was some sort of overly smart geek or something? Would they make fun of her? She mentally groaned to herself. She just needed to shut up. Yup, zip her lip and she would be good to go.

Yamato-sensei chuckled again, patting her on the shoulder. "Take a seat next to Gokudera-kun. Gokudera-kun, please raise your hand."

She looked out in the vast ocean of students – no one raised their hand.

Did that mean that they already thought she was weird? Did they already hate her? Oh God, she wanted to die! And she even straightened her hair this morning…! She began to mentally sob. All that hard work for nothing…

Her teacher sighed. "See that idiot student with the gray hair? He's writing in his weird language all over his class notes. Please sit next to him." His voice changed from chipper to monotone in an instant. As if he wasn't surprised by this at all. _Why is he not surprised by this? Does he realize what he just said?_

His long arm pointed in the vague direction of the _entire_ classroom. Or maybe _she_ was just avoiding making eye contact with _anyone_.

"Haha, Gokudera, raise your hand so the new girl knows where to sit!" A dark haired boy towards the back spoke first. Dark hair does not equal gray hair. Can't sit next to him. At least _he_ seemed nice.

"Shut up baseball idiot! I don't want to sit next to some stupid girl! My place belongs next to the Tenth!"

Bella looked at the boy near the front of the classroom. She instantly took notice of the silver-hair and sat down in the empty seat next to him.

_Next to the Tenth? What the hell does that mean? Is the Tenth is girlfriend?_

"Ah, Go-Gokudera-kun…" Another boy – brunette this time - sitting a few seats behind Gokudera raised his hands in defense as to...ward off the hostility that the nasty boy of giving? Maybe he was the Tenth? Does that mean he was Gokudera's _boyfriend_?

Gokudera turned toward her as she sat down. They both made eye contact as he sneered at her before returning to his uh, notes.

She clicked her tongue, pulling out a pen and a spiral notebook. _With a mouth like that, that poor kid will be a virgin forever._

She froze. A murderous aura surrounded her in an instant.

"Wh_-what did you just say?_" She glanced up from her bag. The gray haired – er, Gokudera was looming over her. She looked around him, only to see the rest of her classmates giggling and snickering as they glanced between the two.

"Ah..?" The boy who had tried to ward off Gokudera earlier was now sporting a beet red face, and the dark haired boy only began to chuckle.

"Ma, ma, Gokudera –"

Bella's glance was pulled back to the boy in front of her. Realization suddenly hit her like a Tonka truck.

"Di-did I say that outloud? Oh my God! I am so sorry! Whenever I get nervous I – I just blurt random things out! I am so sorry! I didn't mean it!" She covered her loud mouth with her hands. Maybe if she just apologized nicely, he would leave her be (who cared if she meant it or not – he was being _way_ mean!). Her day was already off to a rocky start and it was her first day at a real school and she was already nervous and she already didn't know what to do and – and –

"Ah, Gokudera-kun, I'm sure she didn't mean it!" The brunette boy, again, had butted in. This time he seemed to have some control over the situation. Did he wear the pants in the relationship? That…Gokudera looked back him then glared at Bella before sitting back down in his seat.

Bella put her entire face in her hands, peeking through her fingers. The dark haired boy was still chuckling. And he must have saw her peeking at him or something because he winked. She quickly looked away from him and towards the front of the classroom.

Oh, sweet _Jesus_! This day couldn't possibly get any worse!

* * *

Lunch was just two class periods after English. Which meant not only did she have to sit through math, but she had to sit through history as well.

God, if those two weren't like, the most boring subjects ever.

Bella just couldn't grasp any of it. Not only the subjects – math was…a joke. She never seen anything like the teacher had written on the board, though she tried to catch up or at least put two and two together at least.

History was kind of boring as well. For some reason, Japanese history just didn't strike like it of the history of her own home, not that she really knew much of that either.

But! The worst thing, she figured, had actually been just sitting there, in that wooden seat, for hours upon _hours_! Okay, not really that long, but it totally felt like it. She thought she was going to die. She hadn't had to sit still that long since, like, _ever_!

If she wasn't playing with her pen, she was twitching her foot or crossing and re-crossing her legs, or flipping through the blank pages of her notebook. She got some amusement by attempting to check out that weird kid's language, but he kept it hidden pretty well. And he kept glaring at her. Did he realizing how much of an asshole he was acting like? She was just looking, geez.

She also took her time just looking at the students in general. They were a group of nice looking kids, she thought. Even if their attitudes stated otherwise…she glanced back at Gokudera and over to the dark haired boy who was now…sleeping?

She then looked to behind her to the brunette boy who was staring ahead of him into nothing. The drool on his desk began to puddle. That was…unattractive.

The girls were cute though, she thought. A lot seemed to have stylish hair and a few wore makeup.

She twirled her own hair in her hand. She had thrown it up in a ponytail on her way out the door this morning. Even though she had straightened it, it still seemed like a hassle to wear it down all day…

She buried her face in her arms on her desk, letting the cool surface calm her down.

School was so much harder than it looked in the shoujo mangas she had read. _So_ much harder…

"Ah, De Ruce-chan was it?" Bella lifted her head off the desk, blinking slowly. Her contacts had dried out a bit and everything was still blurry.

Her brother had told her that her name would be butchered. And he was right. So she just nodded in response instead of attempting to correct whoever was speaking.

"Its lunch time, you know? Do you want to sit with us?" Her vision focused. In front of her was a small girl, with short brown hair, much like everyone else in class.

"Who are you, again?" Her voice was groggy. Did she really fall asleep?

"Ah! I'm sorry! You can call me Yuki!" She pointed to herself. "And this here is Izumi!" She pointed to the girl next to her. She was slightly taller and a little rounder and her hair was just a little darker.

"Oh, nice to meet you all then. And um, thank you for inviting me, but, uh, my brother wanted to talk to me about something and I'd better see what he wants."

"Your brother is De Ruce-sensei? He is _so_ cute!" Yuki squealed in delight as her friend hit her in the arm.

"Yuki! Don't tell someone their brother is cute! That is so creepy!"

Bella nodded in silent agreement as Yuki through her an apologetic look. "Sorry, I just can't control my mouth sometimes, you know?"

Join the club, kid.

Bella stood up and stretch slightly, pulling a small bag out of her own messenger bag.

"Eto, De Ruce-chan, you are _really_ tall." The Yuki girl continued to babble as she gawked at the now standing girl.

"Um, yeah." Bella chuckled nervously. "I'm all legs and no torso though." She smiled. Damn, these girls were still kind of short. She never had to look down at kids her own age before. And they didn't seem that short when they were sitting down. She felt like a giant. A giant freak._ Ugh. Maybe coming here was a bad idea. _

"But anyway, thank you for inviting to me lunch. Maybe we can eat together tomorrow?"

Izumi nodded and Yuki just giggled. "Yeah, De Ruce-chan! That sounds awesome!"

"Uh, Bella is fine."

"Huh?"

"Bella. You can call me Bella."

Yuki gave another nod. "Ah! Good! Well, see you after lunch, Beru-chan!"

Bella returned with a small smile. God, she didn't know if she could get used to this…this…_this_! _Ugh_!

She excited the classroom in a bit of a hurry, leaving her messenger beg on her desk. It's not like she had anything anyone could possibly want in there.

She remembered what her brother told her yesterday, about how he taught some third year class on the second floor. Was it 3-A? Or maybe 3-B?

She peeked into an empty classroom, her head popping through the cracked door. "Onii-chan?"

"Ah, no dear, your brother teaches next door." She looked towards the owner of the voice – an older woman hunched over her desk, scribbling on paper – grading tests, perhaps?

"Oh, sorry, thank you." The lady smiled as Bella closed the door and walked to 3-B. How did that lady know who her brother was? How did she know she was his sister?

Again, she peeked through the door, but quickly closed it. Her brother seemed to be having a conference with someone. She put her ear to the door and listened in.

"Yamamoto, I don't know what's going on, but lately you've seemed distracted. It's affecting your game. Is everything alright at home? You know you can talk to me, as your coach, I'm here for everyone."

The student…Yamamoto was it? – chuckled in response. "Sorry Coach! I've just been in the clouds I guess. "He laughed again. "I'll get my head in the game – promise."

"That's good to hear," she heard her brother sigh in relief. "We have that game soon and your grades-"

"Yeah, I know. We'll win though! I can feel it!" The door suddenly opened and Bella had to prevent herself from falling on the floor by grabbing the doorframe.

"Yo! You're the new girl!"

"Ah, yeah. Sorry." Didn't he realize that she had been listening in to their conversation? She had been caught red handed! Maybe he didn't care? Or maybe he was an idiot?

"See you at practice, Yamamoto." The boy – Yamamoto (now that she looked at him and not her shoes), was the same dark haired boy from her class. He looked like he _would_ play baseball, now that she really looked at him. And he was tall too – she guessed that they could be the same height give or take an inch.

He left, raising his hand in goodbye as Bella stumbled into the classroom, closing the door behind her.

Her brother turned in his swivel chair and pulled out a paper bag out of his desk drawer.

"So, Legs, how do you like the school so far?" Bella welcomed the childhood nickname. It was old and familiar – unlike this dump.

"I hate it." She pulled a chair to his desk as her brother choked on his sandwich.

"You – you hate it? It's only your first day! Is it because you were late?"

She shook her head as she dumped out her own lunch. A peanut butter and jelly sandwich and juice box. "No. It's just, I can't sit still that long. I feel like I have A.D.D. or something." No way did he need to know about her little incident with what's-his-face this morning. He would _totally_ make fun her and her loud mouth.

"Join a club or something – that way you can focus in school and get your energy out."

"Club? Like what?"

"Well, there's Cooking Club, and Baseball Club, and Soccer Club, and Baseball Club, and Track Club, and Baseball Club, and-"

"You said 'Baseball Club', like, three times already, Onii-chan. Not that I'm noting your favoritism or anything."

"Yeah, well, baseball is the best! Always has been, always will be!" He gave her a wide, childish grin. _That idiot._

"Yeah, well," she retorted, "I'll think about it. I haven't played _real_ baseball since I was a kid. Since you lived back at home." She tore the crust off of her sandwich, creating a pile of crumbs in her lap.

Her brother frowned. "Yeah, I heard. I also heard why you got your ass shipped here. Not focusing on your school work, skipping dance lessons. Mom and Pops spent a lot of time looking for those tutors."

Bella snorted and then began to choke. She quickly grabbed her juice box. "Right. Of course they did. On their trips to Moscow, _and_ New York, _and_ London, _and_ Paris. They really took their time."

"They're busy folks, Bels. Give them some slack. You know their area of work is difficult. And I know you didn't make it any easier for them."

"Hey! I was having fun!"

Her brother looked up from his lunch, a brow raised in suspicion. "You told _fortunes_ to tourists for an over priced fee. You and your little posse did _acrobatic acts_ in the park. Don't think I don't know the real reasons why you're here. _And it isn't because Mommy and Daddy don't love you_." His voice became whiny and nasally as he finished.

"I do _not_ talk like that! And _Oba-chan_ and _Poppi_ didn't care!" She pouted.

"Oba-chan and Poppi don't count. Oba-chan likes to read shoujo manga with you and Poppi thinks you are a fucking miracle."

She continued to pout. "So what if I am? There's nothing wrong with being awesome." And so what is she was his only granddaughter. She's allowed to be spoiled!

"But being conceited makes you look like an asshole."

She paused as her brother finished the rest of his lunch, tossing his paper bag in the trash bin.

Reluctantly, she nodded in reply. "True." Nice to know you can count on your brother for that ever needed ego boost.

* * *

The next chapter should be out next week. I really want to have a steady updating schedule. And hopefully (keep your fingers crossed!) the next chapter will be betaed (I am on the hunt for a beta!). Sorry that this one isn't - I got to excited to post it. And the next chapter should have a lot more action or something! X)

And also, please review! Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated! Really!


	2. Chapter 2

Wow! Thanks everyone for all the reviews and story alerts! And thanks to be beta as well! X)

Oh, and some of you seemed a bit confused - Bella is actually an Italian name, it's pretty common. Sorry Twilight kids, and her name is Isabella anyway.. XD And her brother's last name is the same as hers as well - hopefully there won't as much confusion in this chapter.

Once again, I only own my characters, Bella and Antonia De Luce, as well as any other random characters that are not cannon. And thank you for reading!

* * *

"See you at school!" Bella grabbed her soccer bag and threw her school bag over her shoulder as her brother nodded and lifted up his coffee cup, in acknowledgement.

"Do you have soccer practice after school, too?"

"Yeah." She slid on a pair on sneakers near the door. "…Why?" She could sense a favor being asked. Or worse.

"Well, I'm going out with Akiko tonight so you're going to have to feed yourself."

Bella froze and her eye twitched. Akiko was her brother's girlfriend – so going out was normal. Having to feed herself, not so much.

Her brother looked up from his newspaper – the headlines from the sports read something about a local baseball team.

"W-what did you say?"

"…You're going to have to feed yourself?" He frowned, looking a little concerned at his sister.

Bella's brows furrowed together. Make. Dinner. As in cook. In the kitchen. She didn't know how to cook. She never had to learn. That's what chefs were for. They cook and then you eat. There was no 'you-cook-and-then-you-eat' where she was from.

"_Antonio_! That is-! How am I-?" _I only know how to make pancakes! . And even then I burn them! Burrrnnn!_

Her brother's eye twitched in annoyance. "Just order a pizza, Legs. It's not rocket science."

Oh. That…that was so much easier. It was like a sudden weight had been lifted off her feeble shoulders….

_Ahhh…Why was Onii-chan so smart? _

Bella closed the door behind her, only to here Tony's muffled shout.

"Make sure you close the gate! Benzo is still outside."

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, De Luce-sensei…" _Teach me all the necessities of life. Like closing the gate when I leave…Oh, Onii-chan, what would I ever do with yooouu?_

And by Benzo, her brother meant _Benzo_. As in the mutt.

He instantly was at her side as she closed the door, wagging his tail and drooling everywhere. The slobbery beast.

Bella pat his head and smiled down at the large, hairy dog before jumping over the short gate (it was only up her hip and if Benzo really wanted to, he could jump it too). She wasn't going to bother opening and closing something like that. It was too early - the sun was just barely out the air was still cool…

Speaking of early, she probably should have eaten something.

_If only I was back home. I could still be sleeping in, waiting to wake up to the delicious smell of breakfast in bed…Ahhh. Waffles would be _awesome_ – with butter and syrup, or strawberry jam…Yumm…_

"Haha, you look happy this morning!"

Bella blinked. What?

"Ah, there's drool on your face."

Oh. Wait! She blushed as she frowned, using the sleeve of her sports jacket to wipe the saliva off her face.

It was that guy, from her class. The one who plays baseball. She had only been in school a couple weeks and hadn't really paid attention to those around her. She learned that if she didn't bother anyone or make a fuss in class, things could go pretty smoothly.

"Ah..ha..ha. Yeah. Off to morning practice." She patted her soccer bag as she avoided looking at him. Of course she would get caught with drool on her face. At least _Benzo_ had an excuse.

"Me too!" He grinned as he walked in step with her, patting his own sports bag._ Where did he come from? Was he like a freaking genie or something? Wait a minute…_

"There isn't any morning practice for baseball this morning. I think I brother would have said something this morning."

"Nah, Coach only comes to morning practice sometimes, since it's not really required." He must have really loved the sport or something. Though she could understand a bit. Soccer was pretty much the most awesome thing ever…

She did find it weird that her brother still didn't go, though.

Bella responded, "Ah," nonchalantly. She was hoping he would just leave her be. Really. Not that she hated him or anything, but it was still quite early in the morning and –

"So, you live around here too?"

"…Yes. Just a couple streets over."

He laughed again. "Me too! Hey! What was your name again? Sorry, I forgot when the teacher introduced you the other day." _Other day? More like other week, bro._

"Bella."

"Oh! I'm Yamamoto!"

"Uh, nice to meet you, then." Okay. This was nice. Now she knew like, five people's name – including the few girls she ate lunch with. _Maybe running into him wasn't so bad…I guess. But it's still too early for conversation…And I'm hungry…_

A juice box was suddenly waved in front of her face.

"Do you want one? Your stomach keeps making weird noises! You know, you should eat breakfast – it's the most important meal of the day. At least that's what my dad says."

She grabbed the juice box. "Thanks."

"Hey Beru, did you finish last night's math homework?"

"Be-lah."

"Huh?"

"My name is not _Beru_. It's Bella. Be-_lah_."

"Be-lah," he laughed again as he opened his own juice box. "Bella."

This time, she returned the smile. "Yeah, Bella." Geez, he was kind of cute – when he was pronouncing her name right at least. He reminded her of Benzo.

"So, did you finish the math homework or what?"

"Ugh, _no_! I don't understand any of it. Did you?" She was reminded of the couple hours she spent just staring at her paper last night – she almost chewed up an entire pencil in the process.

"Some of it. I got kind of lost after the second half." He scratched his cheek. "Hey! Gokudera might help us! He always helps Tsuna out with his homework!"

"Who?"

"Ah, Gokudera is the one who always has a face like this," he then, attempted to, scowl which only looked horrendous. "And he smokes a lot. Tsuna is like, this tall," he brought his hand to her shoulder. "And he always makes the 'hiiiii' noise!"

Bella's eye twitched, "The way you describe your friends is weird."

"Is it? Ha ha, oh well. So would you be up to it?"

Studying together is something friends do, right? Like normal friends, who go to normal schools, who do _normal_ things. That sounds nice – and it just fell in her lap, like nothing. Maybe it was karma for something nice she did? Whenever that…was?

Wait, this is kind of suspicious. People don't _just_ invite you to things like this…

"I would like to, but I have soccer practice after school, so…"

"Oh, that's fine! I'm going to the batting cages after school too. We can go to Tsuna's house afterwards." _He's going to the batting cages _and_ un-required morning practice? _

"I don't know where that is. Maybe some other -"

"Well, do you want to meet up? Then we can walk together and you'll know how to get there!"

There was no getting out if this.

She sighed. Maybe she could at least _attempt_ to wrap her mind around the concept of math before she failed completely.

"Sure. Where do you want to meet up?"

* * *

Bella met up with Yamamoto after practice at the same place they met before school. She only had time to take a quick shower in the locker room so at least she wouldn't smell like soccer field and sweat. That would be lame.

And she hadn't been to anyone's house before, here at least. She tried to hide how excited she was – not even the girls she ate lunch with had invited her to their houses. And now that she had thought it over, studying with classmates was a good idea. Kids did it all the time in the shoujo mangas she read…

"Bella?"

"Huh? Yes?"

Yamamoto started to laugh. "You're making a weird face. Like this." He then looked like he was spacing out, a stupid grin plastered to his face.

"Pfft." She smacked him in the arm. "I do not make faces like that! I am a lady and ladies do _not_ make such faces."

He laughed again, "Oh, okay then. Sorry."

Great, now she sounded like a snot. He probably thought – wait. Why does she care what he thinks?

Soccer practice had given her a lot of time to think about this 'sudden invitation'. She was going to use this as a chance to just boost her grade up, then she was probably never going to talk to them again.

The more she thought about it, the more it made sense. She wasn't here to make friends – she was here because she skipped school back home. Maybe if she did well enough, she could go home and continue living the pampered life she was used to living – you know, the one where she didn't have to do anything she didn't want to.

_Yeah_, she smiled, _and if I get tutored, I can practically buy my plane ticket now..._

Oh, ho, ho. No more cooking or doing laundry, no more homework, no more confining classrooms; this was just –

"Hahaha, you're doing it again! Making that face!" She felt an arm around her shoulder. "Maybe you should share your thoughts!"

Bella wiggled out from under Yamamoto's arm. "That would be no fun. I like to keep people guessing."

"Ah! Here we are!" He strode past the concrete block walls that surrounded the house – she was able to quickly read the nameplate above the mailbox: _Sawada_.

Yamamoto knocked lightly on the door and grinned at Bella as it opened.

"Ah, Yamamoto! Oh, and uh – De Ruce-san?" He remembered her name. This was, uh, Tsuna, right? It had to be – he opened the door and he looked like a guy in her class.

"Yeah! She wasn't understanding math either, so I invited her. Is that alright?"

"Ye-yeah. That's fine."

Bella put on her best 'thank you, sucka' smile. "Ah! Thanks Tsuna! I really appreciate it. And you can call me Bella."

Yamamoto quipped, "And that's Bel-lah." His tongue stuck out at the last syllable and Bella had a feeling he was mocking her. That brat…

"Uh, yeah. Gokudera-kun is already upstairs, so…"

"He's already here? Haha, that Gokudera sure knows-"

"Lambo-san is a Broccoli Monster! Kya! Kya!" Bella and Yamamoto proceeded to take off their sneakers as a small, furry creature ran into the hallway. It appeared to be chasing a…small, round child, with…a tail? She glanced back at the 'monster' and his large fluffy hair; she could easily understand how the term 'Broccoli Monster' would apply here.

Bella looked up and made eye contact with Tsuna, frowning. He looked back at two running around and gave Bella an apologetic smile as he blushed.

"My room is, um, up this way."

Apparently Broccoli Monsters were the norm at the Sawada household. Not that she should really be judging or anything. Her grandmother was –

"Oi! What took you so long? And what are you doing bringing in others, idiot?"

Hey! It was that guy from her first day of class!

She blinked.

_Wait, a minute. He's talking to Yamamoto like he did me. And he's _friends_ with Yamamoto…Isn't he? Maybe this kid is like a secret Tsundere or something - like in shoujo manga! Oohh! I shall figure out your secret, if it's the last thing I do!  
_

"Mah, mah, Gokudera. She doesn't understand math either, so I figured –"

"I'm sorry…If you don't want me here, I'll just go. I figured I could at least help you out with English or something if you help me understand this math homework."

Tsuna's eyed widen as he let out a sigh of relief. He was about to respond when he was interrupted by something hitting him in the face.

"Gah! Reborn!"

"Ciaossu." A toddler dressed to the nines suddenly appeared on the table.

"Ciao, yourself, kid." She raised a brow. Tsuna rubbed the back of his head, apparently where he got kicked.

"I'm Reborn, Dame-Tsuna's home tutor."

"De Luce Bella. Tsuna's classmate. Pleased to make your acquaintance." She bowed her head slightly in acknowledgement. Something about this kid…

"Reborn! Don't intimidate her – Bella-san-"

She peered past Reborn to look at Tsuna. "Bella's fine."

"Mah, mah. I really want to get this done before dinner…I'm starving!"

"Yeah, I don't understand any of this." Gokudera looked at the three of them as he put his glasses on. He definitely had his 'game-on' face and Bella could tell this would be a hellish kind of tutorial.

* * *

Bella had _actually_ learned a lot during the hour and half session at Tsuna's.

She had learned just what was the point of solving y=mx+b and how to graph a bit. Thank God she studied her multiplication tables…

And she also learned a few other not-so-important things as well.

Like Yamamoto's and Gokudera's first names. The latter did _not_ like to be called Hayato, and he especially didn't like it when you said it rhymed with tomato.

"Hai-ya-_to_e. Toe-may-_toe_." She tried to give them simple words that rhymed with their names so they could begin to at least get the pronunciation of English words correct – maybe she could save future foreigners from having their names said wrong too. _Ah_, she would be a hero to all those who suffered the same fate she had!

"_Tsu_-na. _Tu_-na."

"Tak-eh-_shi_. Ched-der chee-_z-ah_."

"Bel-lah. Bru-che-tah."

"I got it, _Tak_-_e_-_shi_." Bella looked at the boy next to her who was continuing to have fun with the simple word game, even if he still wasn't getting it. The street lights flickered on, it must be getting late…

"Haha, sorry. But they are so much fun, you know? Are you going to help us with English again? There's this essay due next week and I haven't even started." Yamamoto stretched his arms above his head.

"Glad to be of service…" She shifted the bag on her shoulder. At least her math homework was done – and she had to admit, Hayato was really good at explaining things, better than this nut over here at least.

"Well, this is my turn. See you later."

"Yeah! See you at school!" He waved goodbye as she turned towards her street.

At least _that_ mess was over. She didn't understand how Tsuna could survive in a house like that – too many people and not enough…not enough…well, she couldn't put a name on it, but she guessed that house never had a dull moment, that's for sure.

She felt her phone vibrate in her bag. She reached in for it and flipped it open. A new text.

Bella sighed. _Oh, dear._ This day was never going to end, was it?

* * *

Thank you very much for reading! And I would love to hear (read?) any critique you may have! Please let me know what you think! It helps us writers out a lot, you know?

See you next week! And sorry if it's starting out slow - I want to develop a bit of relationship before the plot.. XD


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